CIAF announces program dates while unveiling 2020 theme song

Announcement - Cairns Indigenous Art Fair

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) unveiled its locally produced theme song and program dates today after announcing last month its 2020 event will go ahead using an innovative, digital platform.

CIAF 2020 – The Cultural Evolution will be officially rolled out through a series of live stream presentations, performances, webinars, workshops, community spotlights, virtual gallery exhibitions and conversations from Friday 14 August to Sunday 23 August 2020.  

With marketing for the event now underway, today’s event announcement is a timely opportunity to present the official theme music for this year’s celebration that has been created by local musicians, 3MPride.

CIAF artistic director Janina Harding said she has nothing but praise for the talent from 3MPride project.

“The opportunity to work with young people here in Cairns to create a song that will tell CIAF’s 2020 story has been a gift and we hope everyone loves the sound and lyrics as much as we do,” Ms Harding said.

With music beat and production support from Joel and Naomi Wenitong, The Last Kinection, 3MPride singers Robbie Sagigi, Joneisha and Jeff Daniels have together created CIAF’s first ever dedicated song, “Hear Me Now” inspired to reflect this year’s Climate Change theme.

Details of this year’s program will be presented at an official launch next month however festival goers and supporters can look forward to a number of traditional CIAF inclusions and highlights that include the annual Art Awards, cultural fashion performance, comedy and children’s Storytime sessions.

According to Ms Harding, special opening and closing ceremonies will bookend the online program that has been created for communities, friends and supporters to experience the vibrant and inventive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture of Queensland.

“We are doing everything we can to partner with communities, curators and artists.

“This obviously has its own set of challenges when you consider the remoteness of many communities and the enforced period of isolation currently being experienced, however there is a great sense of team work and optimism at play which is helping to overcome all of the obstacles,” Ms Harding said.

“The reality of a virtual CIAF 2020 is exciting when you consider we will present to the world, 600 artists from across the entire state of Queensland and the Torres Strait Islands,” she said.